On Monday, October 29, at 5pm, Sam Riley farewelled his mother from his Carter Street unit after a big day at TAFE.
‘See you tomorrow, Mum, love you’, were the last words his mother, Karen, heard from her beloved 31-year-old Sam.
This was always how Sam would say goodbye to his family, who described him as ‘”kind’, gentle and harmless.”
The body of the 31-year-old was discovered at his West Busselton property on Tuesday, October 30, prompting a homicide investigation and police appeals to the public for information.
The shattered, grief-stricken family are in disbelief about the circumstances surround Sam’s passing and Karen has spoken to the media, in the hope they can get some answers.
“Initially all that I could think was that he’s gone, but just in the last few days, I’m trying to understand what happened and why would it happen,” she said.
“We just want some answers, we just need some answers.
“Bussselton is such a small place. There has got to be someone out there who knows something and we just need anyone to come forward with any information so this crime can be solved and our beautiful boy can be laid to rest.”
Karen said Sam was never confrontational or violent, and if there had of been any trouble their close-knit family would have known about it – Sam would often confide in his mother and brother.
She said Sam was a very gentle soul, who was kind everyone, even when he shouldn’t have been.
“He just welcomed anybody, wouldn't harm anyone,” she said.
“He was very gentle and kind, which lead to him been taken advantage of quite a bit or people used him.
“It happened a lot. He was too kind.”
When Karen got a phone call from a support worker that Sam hadn't answer the door on October 30, she immediately left work.
Upon her arrival to Sam’s unit, she found police and ambulances at the scene.
She had hoped Sam was just sleeping deeply as he did from time to time, but once she got there she knew something was desperately wrong.
Sam had difficulties with day-to-day living, and received help from support workers a few times a week for tasks like shopping and cleaning
“Sam had had mental health issues in the past and that was why he needed the supported. His mental age wasn't that of a 31-year-old man,” she said.
“He was going extremely well, particularly in the last 18 months, he had started TAFE and was enjoying that, he was managing well at home with help of support workers.
“He had a little cat, recently he purchased a scooter which he was loving, loving having that independence, he was always scooting around town, everyone knew him.
“A lot of the community knew Sam, even in the shops. I was always being congratulated on his beautiful manners. He had the best manners and he was known for that.”
Two weeks after Sam’s death, police are still investigating and have urged anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from the area around West Busselton around the time of the incident to provide that footage to police.
Karen hopes speaking out will prompt someone to come forward with information.
On Monday, October 29, at 5pm, she responded to her eldest son with ‘I love you, see you tomorrow’.
Her shock that this would be the last time she saw her son remains strong.
“How could any body harm my beautiful, gentle boy who never harmed anyone,” she said.
“We are in disbelief.
“It is just eating away at us, it is incomprehensible. We just want to know why.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at crimestopperswa.com.au.